March 1, 2002
Editor's Note: The "new" icon appears next to Reader's Forum only when new submissions to the forum are received and posted. The Reader's Forum remains part of the Daily Newsbulletin albeit in a new location.
Newsbulletin format and Readers Forum
I guess that Chris Mechels was correct. The new Daily Newsbulletin format and the editorial policy have killed off the Reader's Forum. The position on the page in the new format is much less noticeable and it does not include any way for the reader to know there is new content on the page.
I do disagree with Chris on the utility of the page: traffic issues are true safety issues. There was no other forum for these issues and now that this forum is as good as dead, there is no forum. For example, how many people are aware that there was yet another accident at the truck inspection station [on East Jemez Road] this week?
As a bicycle commuter, I see "close calls" on a nearly daily basis (two out of three days this week for me, with more than one on Monday). I think that ISM would call for an investigation into these close calls especially those related to Laboratory activities, such as the ones at the inspection station. Of course, in my case, they are not investigated because they are part of my commute.
A somewhat related issue is that I have been told that I am to report all injuries that I may receive during a work day, including those that occur during lunch. This is in stark contrast to the issue above of not being allowed to report close calls associated with my commute. Since I exercise during lunch (I like to ride my mountain bike) and there is a significant chance (by Laboratory standards) of injury during these activities, I wonder, if people really do start reporting these injuries that occur during lunch, is the Lab going to make us stop exercising, or have a safety plan, or wear more safety equipment than I currently wear? In other words, what is the purpose of asking us to report injuries that occur on our own time when we are conducting activities for our own purposes?
--Bart J. Vanden Plas